Author
Topic: Ambient Music Download Pricing (Read 1047 times)

I was just over at the Spotted Peccary label website http://spottedpeccary.com checking out some of their great music and talented roster of artist and happen to click on the music buy option , i.e. cd or download format and was surprised to see such high download prices.

CD.....$13.98MP3...$8.99 Flac...$11.98Alac...$11.9824bit.$15.98

What I am trying to figure out is the reasoning for this pricing structure, specifically the high res downloads..... almost $12 for a flac file and near $16 for 24bit file $2 less the a physical cd or $2 more.

I love this label so understand Im not going after them and one can find some crazy pricing out there when you get into audiophile HD downloads sites.

Could the high price reflect addition storage cost for large file size?Did the label have additional mastering cost to run a second pass, one @ 16bit for cd replication and another @ 24bit for HR download?Is the pricing a deterrent to encourage more physical cd sales?Is this a way to stay alive in a seemingly every shrinking ambient community?

I think its great that they offer such a wide variety of formats yet Im must say there's some sticker shock involved.

IMO, the MP3, FLAC, and ALAC should be the same price, and the 24-bit version should match (or be slightly under) the CD price. $16 for a 24-bit download is kind of ridiculous.

On a side note, I wish people would do away the .99 thing. It's not $13.98 for a CD, it's $14. You're not fooling anyone with that tactic. I find most releases on Bandcamp do away with that pricing tactic, which is nice to see.

On a side note, I wish people would do away the .99 thing. It's not $13.98 for a CD, it's $14. You're not fooling anyone with that tactic.

Actually, that's not true. People ARE fooled by it, which is why almost every seller in every industry prices things this way. Sure, our rational mind knows that $13.99 effectively equals $14, but our subconscious sees "$13..." and registers a lower price than if the seller just said "This product is $14."

It may seem like nonsense but it's proven to convince buyers that the price is actually lower, and make the prospective buyer more likely to buy.

I should add... I agree it's silly, and we shouldn't need to play these games, but that's the way it is. I'm not willing to decrease our store's sales by 5% or whatever just to make a point by pricing things at even dollar amounts.

Personally I try to come up with a 'fair' price relative to the duration of the album. I priced my 'Lumen' album on Bandcamp at £3.33 as there are three tracks and I'm a numerologist. The x.99 thing is an old trick that seems to work.

For some reason 24 bit master quality seems to have garnered a premium.....sort of like a luxury tax on a $200.000 Rolls Royce or whatever they may cost. Bandcamp will level the the playing field which is sort of silly for labels who should pay attention to this and not push themselves out of the market place!